"We are finally here. Hopefully, we didn't miss much of the action," said Kanae, stepping through the front gates with a sharp, measured stride. Her shoes clicked evenly against the pavement as the breeze ruffled her blazer. A faint floral scent drifted through the air, but her cold, focused gaze never drifted from the buildings ahead. Her arms remained loosely at her sides, fingers slightly curled in control.
"Well, we wouldn't have if a certain someone had listened to my directions instead of following her own," Yuri muttered to herself. Her voice was low and dry, and her shoulders drooped slightly as she shuffled along. One hand stayed stuffed in her jacket pocket, the other swinging loosely at her side as she glanced toward Airi.
"Yokonan is really huge, isn't it?" said Airi as she took a picture. Her arms were raised high, her camera snapping away while she spun lightly in place. Her shoes scuffed against the ground as she twirled, her hair bouncing with each movement. Her wide eyes glimmered with awe. She stopped mid-step to admire a butterfly drifting nearby, nearly bumping into Yuri, who sidestepped with a groan.
"Yes, it is. I wonder where we can find their basketball court. Let me ask around," said Kanae, scanning the area with quick, precise eye movements. Her chin lifted slightly as she assessed her surroundings. She spotted a Yokonan student sitting alone on a nearby bench and started walking toward him. Her steps were silent but assertive, and her back remained straight as she approached.
"Excuse me," Kanae began, her tone polite but firm. The student looked up, blinking rapidly as he sat up straighter, his spine stiffening. "Would you happen to know where the basketball court is?"
The student blinked for a moment, then pointed to a tall gymnasium just ahead. "It's right through there. You can go around to the side and enter from the east door."
Kanae gave a small nod. "Thank you." She pivoted smoothly and walked away, gesturing with a slight flick of her wrist for the others to follow. Her expression never changed.
"This is going to be one of the best scoop we have gotten for the semester," muttered Kanae, the corners of her lips curling up just slightly.
After the second quarter, everyone was exhausted, breathing heavily as they gathered on their benches. Shirts clung slightly to their backs, and the sound of sneakers squeaking and water bottles snapping open filled the space.
"See, Shino? I told you you're doing well. You just started to understand the game, and you put up some points. Great work, keep it up," said Nanaho as she patted him on the back. Her hand hit with a firm slap, and she smiled encouragingly.
"Y-you really think so?" asked Shino, smiling happily. His cheeks were flushed, and his breathing was uneven, his chest rising and falling beneath his jersey.
"It's not like it's anything special. He only scored two points, so stop praising him," scoffed Noboru, arms crossed tightly over his chest. His brows were pulled low, jaw clenched, and one of his legs bounced impatiently.
"Aww, someone's jealous. Don't worry, you have plenty of time to shine too, Noboru," said Nanaho teasingly. She leaned slightly forward, tilting her head with a smug smile.
"I have to score more points. Can't be on the same level as that amateur," Noboru thought to himself, clenching his fists in his lap. His knuckles pressed against his thighs as he sat forward on the edge of the bench.
"Yukio, Hayato, we might actually win this," said Takahiro, eyes gleaming with excitement. He leaned in, knees wide, and his hands planted on his thighs as he tried to catch his breath.
"No, we are going to win this," said Yukio with confidence. He straightened his posture and looked toward the court with calm, steady focus.
"Yes, we won't settle for a loss," added Hayato. His tone was firm, eyes narrowed in a steady gaze .
"They're so amazing. Despite being a six-player team, they are leading Yokonan High, one of the top schools in basketball. Tetsuo really is something—he's in a league of his own," thought Haruko as she stared at Tetsuo, her hands clasped in front of her chest, heart racing with admiration.
"We are leading forty-eight to thirty-nine, and with just twenty minutes remaining, we can do this," Nanaho said to herself, her hands tightening into determined fists on her lap.
"There you guys are! I've been looking everywhere for you," said Kanae as she walked toward their bench. Her steps were brisk and even, her presence cutting through the background noise.
"Kanae? What are you doing here?" asked Nanaho.
"We're here to gather information about the basketball team to write our newspaper," Kanae replied, her arms folded as she stood with a professional calmness.
"Wow, you guys aren't messing around! You're up by nine points against a team like Yokonan?" said Yuri, surprised but impressed. She raised an eyebrow, leaning against the wall casually with one leg bent.
"It wasn't a total waste to come here, then."
"Come on, everyone! Get up! I want to take some pictures of you," said Airi with her sweet voice. She bounced on her toes, pulling out her camera again and waving them over.
"Can't you see that we're here concentrating on our game? Buzz off," said Noboru rudely. He turned away from her with a scowl, folding his arms again.
"I'm sorry about that, Kanae," said Nanaho as she punched Noboru on the shoulder. Her fist connected with a dull thud.
"Ouch! That hurt, goddammit! I still got a game to play, you know!" said Noboru, rubbing the sore spot with a grimace.
"Then it's a good thing we have six players now, isn't it?" said Nanaho. "Everyone, go take some pictures. We have around eight minutes before the game resumes, so it shouldn't be an issue."
"Thank you! Alright, stand in the spot one by one as Airi takes your pictures," said Kanae, stepping aside and nodding to Airi.
One after another, Airi took pictures of Yukio and the rest of Toshigawa's basketball team. Her fingers worked quickly on the camera, angling it for the best light and focus, smiling as she gave short cues.
"That will do for now," said Airi, lowering the device.
"Lend me the camera," said Yuri as she took it from Airi. "You're Shino, right?"
"Y-yes, I am," said Shino nervously. He shifted his feet, holding his arms close to his sides.
"Could you stand back over there? I want more pictures of you."
"O-okay… B-but why me specifically?" asked Shino.
"Oh, no particular reason," said Yuri as she chuckled and lightly tugged him to a better-lit spot.
"Great work out there, Kayano. Not the best results, but at least you made them score some points after that huge shutdown they got," said Coach Arimoto. His arms were crossed, his clipboard tucked under one arm, eyes still trained on the court.
"I was aiming to close the gap in our points, but my efforts alone won't be enough to do so. I hate to admit it, but Toshigawa actually has a team," said Kayano. He wiped sweat from his brow, jaw tight, his stance firm despite the exhaustion in his limbs.
"You're right. Kogure, you're going in. Take over this game for me. This team was quite the shocker, but now I'm certain they won't have a counter for this," said Coach Arimoto. He pointed at the court without hesitation.
"I underestimated that girl's ability as a coach because she was just a high school student in my eyes. We better not take them lightly anymore, or we'll definitely lose. It's better if we crush them entirely," Coach Arimoto thought to himself, gripping his clipboard tighter.
You did it, Yukio! You got Coach to put me in—great job Kogure muttered under his breath as he started stretching. He rolled his neck, swung his arms, and bounced on his heels.
"Do I have to tell you what to do?" asked Coach Arimoto.
"Come on, Coach, give me some credit. I'll ensure that I score thirty points to make up for the others' mistakes," said Kogure confidently, flashing a grin unable to contain his excitement.
"No way!! Kogure is coming in?" said a Yokonan student, jumping up from the bleachers.
"About damn time. Hurry up and put Toshigawa Academy in their place!" said a soccer player, fists pumping in the air.
"Kogure-senpai!!!! I love you!" shouted a girl from the crowd.
"Kogure-senpai, do your best!"
"Kobayashi-kun, be sure to beat them!" said Eiji.
"Here he comes… Yokonan High's ace, Kogure Kobayashi," said Nanaho, her expression darkening. Her mouth set into a straight line and her fists clenched against her knees.
"This game is going to be difficult from here on out," Yukio thought to himself, his eyes narrowed and jaw locked in determination.
"Nanaho, everyone, I have a plan. Come here," said Yukio as he gestured for them to huddle up. His voice was steady, and his stance confident.
"Wait… That actually might work. It's a good suggestion," said Nanaho, nodding. She shifted closer, dropping to a crouch with the others.
"No, it won't. That's the only way we'll be able to keep up with them, though, in terms of points," said Hayato, voice low as he frowned, eyes calculating.
"So you want me to guard that big guy over there, right?" asked Takahiro.
"Yes. He may be bigger in size than us, but he's around the same height as me. He's not hard to handle—trust me," said Yukio.
"I'll have to guard Kogure. I played alongside him in junior high, and trust me when I say this—my big brother was the only one who could stop him from scoring. That guy is unstoppable… He's an offensive machine," said Yukio grimly.
"Tetsuo, I want you to lock down Manabu. Focus on keeping him away from the ball. Don't worry about supporting us on defense," said Yukio.
"Yes, I'll try not to," said Tetsuo, nodding stiffly.
"Hayato, I know it will be tough, but you'll have to find a way to handle Takeshi Kayano," said Yukio.
"I knew I had to face him one way or another, but don't worry—I'll figure something out," said Hayato, arms folded and feet braced wide apart.
"Noboru, you rested enough yet?" asked Nanaho.
"I wasn't even tired in the first place. I'm raring to go!" said Noboru as he stood up and stretched, arms swinging above his head with an audible crack of his joints.
"Good. Let's go for it, everyone. Let's end this game and have no regrets," said Nanaho, her eyes burning with determination. She brushed aside her neatly cut bangs, then clapped her hands once.